Team Spotlight: Project Management Office

By December 14, 2023Life at Tideworks
The Tideworks project management team outside the Tideworks office

For more than 20 years, Tideworks has been offering software solutions to terminals around the world. 

This has given us plenty of time to become experts in understanding how to implement our products and guide customers through the integration process seamlessly. However, during this time, we also realized that while the business of operating container terminals may look similar, each facility has unique needs and concerns that have to be addressed on an individual basis.

Tideworks values customer satisfaction above all else. We know that building long-term relationships with our clients is the best way to sustain mutual growth into the future. In the interest of acting out this principle, we created our project management office, PMO for short, to help us stabilize, standardize, and scale our project management methodology.

Today, we’ll spotlight the PMO and explain what they do in detail so current and future customers know what they’re getting when they choose to partner with Tideworks.

The Role of Project Managers in the PMO

When new projects arise, either from new or existing customers, they’re handed off to the project management team through a dedicated intake process. This is where Nathan Bailey, our Director of the Project Management Office, assigns the new project to one of our experienced project managers. 

Currently, our PMO contains three levels of project managers:

  • Associate Project Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Senior Project Manager

Project managers handle up to two or three projects at a time, depending on the size of the project as well as their experience. Our senior managers are responsible for larger projects, but every level of project manager is expected to work directly with the relevant stakeholders and see their project through to completion.

How the Project Management Team Collaborates with Client Services

Tideworks PMO Team in MexicoWhether we’re kicking off a fresh relationship with a brand-new client or getting ready to implement changes and updates for an existing customer, projects at Tideworks always start with a meeting.

Stakeholders from within our clients’ organizations will meet with members of our client services team, including their assigned project manager. Generally, these meetings take place either on-site at the client’s terminal or at Tideworks’ Seattle offices. By putting names to faces in a real-world setting, we aim to set the foundation for a long and fruitful relationship.

While our client services team is the primary customer-focused team in our organization, our project manager will act as the bridge between what the customer needs and the internal resources necessary to make those needs a reality. 

By combining their efforts, client services and the PMO ensure Tideworks is not only able to get the project done efficiently but also keep the customer in the loop throughout the journey.

An Example of a Major Project: The SSA Mexico Terminal in Manzanillo

Tideworks is proud to be affiliated with the SSA Mexico terminal in Manzanillo, Mexico. This terminal is the leading specialized container terminal in the port and one of the best equipped terminals in the entire country.

Recently, SSAM decided to undergo an upgrade from Tideworks’ Mainsail Classic terminal operating system (TOS) to our latest Mainsail 10. They’re also installing upgrades for Spinnaker and Traffic Control, and implementing our new Data Platform. As a Tideworks affiliate, SSAM is entitled to the full range of support services we provide, including our PMO.

With an upgrade of this size, there are many moving pieces. There’s no way that Tideworks could simply push out an update and call it a day. Projects of this size and complexity require tons of research, planning, and knowledge to succeed. To prevent hiccups, pauses and any interruptions to normal business operations, a dedicated project management team was needed, and this is exactly the type of project our PMO team was created to handle.

Our PMO is currently in the middle of these upgrades and is actively working with SSA Mexico’s own project managers, who are on-site in Manzanillo. Special shout out to those team members, Rene Mclean, Jovani Anderson, Nancy Garcia, Edith Cruz, Lorena Meza, Vazquez Martinez, and Bellanely Cardenas! 

How the PMO Contributes to Tideworks’ Success

Whether it’s new clients needing help implementing our products for the first time or long-time customers making major upgrades to existing services, Tideworks has one goal: to integrate our software quickly into existing processes with little or no downtime. In other words, get the job done quickly and efficiently every single time.

Tideworks’ PMO is an invaluable contributor to this lofty goal. Our project management team contributes via:

  • Sharper Visibility: The PMO strives to enable leadership to make data-driven decisions based on objective KPIs and reports that accurately communicate project status.
  • Concrete Methodology: The PMO works across multiple departments and implements a standardized methodology. This ensures each project starts out on a solid foundation and streamlines workflow for every department involved. Then, through constant communication, they ensure that tasks are completed on time so the project proceeds efficiently.
  • Better Scalability: Through increased visibility and a better, more efficient methodology, Tideworks is better suited to scale predictably and firmly support more projects at once.

Tideworks’ Project Management Office is Ready to Help You Upgrade Your Terminal Operating Systems

Whether you’re an existing customer interested in getting the latest Tideworks’ TOS solutions implemented at your terminal or a prospective client needing assistance integrating our systems for the first time, the project management office is ready to assist.

Our experienced and dedicated project managers serve as an extension of our philosophy: build long-term relationships with our clients so they can scale at their own pace. We know this is the best recipe for mutual growth, and we’re excited to continue to share in that growth with ports and terminals around the world.

Have a project in mind? Get in touch with Tideworks today to explore our solutions and get access to our expert project management office.